The present invention is related to a ladder support device which mounts to a hitch of a vehicle. More specifically, the present invention is related to a ladder support device which positively secures a ladder in a fixed position without the necessity of tethers.
There are many instances wherein a need to work at an elevated height exist. Many times, such as against a damaged tree or the gutter of a house, there is not a sufficient resting position for the upper extent of a ladder. Often the ground is uneven which makes secure placement of the feet difficult. Therefore, there is a long felt need for a ladder support device which is stable and which can be used in a variety of situations.
The use of a vehicle is particularly attractive due to the stability offered by the vehicle. There are a myriad of ladders in the art which mitigate some of these problems by securing a ladder to a vehicle. Unfortunately, they all have deficiencies.
Some of the devices require tethers to secure the ladder to the vehicle. Tethers are difficult to employ and they only provide security in the direction wherein the ladder draws against the spanned tether. If an event occurs which would cause the ladder to move towards the tether there is no securing force provided by the tether in that direction.
Other devices utilize dedicated vehicle features such as bumper modifications, mounted racks and the like which limits the use of the invention to a single vehicle or a single type of vehicle.
There is a long felt need for a ladder support device which is secure, easy to operate and which is adaptable to virtually any style vehicle. Such a device is provided by the present invention.